`BE PREPARED' NOW MEANS MORE FOR BOY SCOUTS

BALTIMORE (AP) -- These days, the Boy Scout motto ``Be prepared'' means a
lot more than knowing how to build a fire or tie a slip knot.

In the latest edition of the Scout manual, a section called ``Prepared for
Life'' gives advice on avoiding sexual irresponsibility, guarding one's
privacy on the Internet and staying away from drugs, alcohol and tobacco.

``We wanted to make it easier to grasp the social issues,'' said Renee
Fairrer, national Scouts associate director of external communications.

Among the topics discussed in the manual's first revision in a decade are
the Heimlich maneuver and how to get along with people of different ethnic
backgrounds.

On the subject of sex, the manual says, ``True maturity comes from acting
responsibly in a number of ways. . . . Don't burden someone you care for
with a child neither of you is ready to bear.''

Checked-by: Pat Dolan